TRACK & FIELD CENTRAL: UAB Blazer Invite

January 10, 2019 | Track & Field

UAB Blazer Invite Schedule Heat Sheets Flight Sheets Follow Live Results

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee track & field program will send a contingent of athletes to Birmingham, Ala. this week for the UAB Blazer Invite, scheduled to run all day on Friday, Jan. 11. Those competing will get a glimpse of the 2019 NCAA Indoor National Championship site, as the meet is hosted by the Birmingham CrossPlex.

UAB Blazer Invite

MEET INFO

Date: Jan. 11, 2019
Location: Birmingham CrossPlex
Host: UAB Blazers
First Event: 9 a.m. CT - Men's Shot Put
Last Event: 6:30 p.m. CT - Men's 4x400

The meet is set to begin at 9 a.m. CT with the men's shot put and will conclude with the men's 4x400m relay at 6:30 p.m. CT. In addition to Tennessee, 17 other Division I programs will be represented: Alabama, Auburn, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Georgia, Jacksonville, Miami (FL), Middle Tennessee, New Orleans, Ole Miss, Samford, Savannah State, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Troy and UAB.

LAST TIME OUT: This will be UT's second meet of the 2019 indoor campaign, as the Vols opened their schedule last weekend at the annual Tennessee-Indiana Duals in Bloomington, Ind. Freshman jumper Alonie Sutton broke a program record in her Big Orange debut, recording a 13.00m (42' 8") mark to take first place in the women's indoor triple jump.

UT won 11 total events, highlighted by five meet records in the women's 60m hurdles (Alexis Duncan / 8.30), women's 60m dash (Maia McCoy / 7.37), women's weight throw (Stamatia Scarvelis / 22.08m), men's shot put (Joseph Maxwell / 18.75m) and women's triple jump (Sutton / 13.00m).

VOLS RECEIVE PRESEASON RANKINGS: The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released its initial Track & Field Rating Index (TFRI) Thursday afternoon.

The Lady Vols were tabbed No. 17 in the listing, while the Tennessee men were slotted No. 41. A full breakdown of the rankings can be found at this link.

THROWBACK TO BIRMINGHAM 2016: Tennessee will return to the Birmingham CrossPlex, which served as the site for the 2016 NCAA Indoor National Championships. UT track & field put together one of its most complete indoor performances at that meet, earning top-10 team finishes on both sides as the men placed third and the women claimed seventh.

Christian Coleman (20.55) and Felicia Brown (22.47) swept indoor 200m national titles for the Big Orange, the first program to accomplish that feat in the history of NCAA Indoor Track & Field.

Recent graduate Nathan Strother claimed a silver-medal finish in the men's 400m (46.28), while Cassie Wertman's personal-best shot put heave of 17.68m (58-0.25) earned second place as well. Cameron Brown (weight throw) and Chelsea Blaase (5000m) took bronze in their respective events to round out Tennessee's top-3 individual NCAA finishes.

UP NEXT: Tennessee's indoor track season will continue next weekend with the Hokie Invitational, hosted by Virginia Tech on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 18-19.

A comprehensive breakdown of UT's entries in the UAB Blazer Invite can be viewed below. For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee track & field, follow @Vol_Track on Twitter.